Leprechaun Trap
by Goldenstargirl
Summary: I wrote this when I was trying to erase my writer's block. Enjoy.


A/N: Another Lucky Charms fanfic. Need I say more? Dedicated to the person on Photobucket who uploaded a picture of a rainbow with the tag, "Away With Me Lucky Charms," you made my day! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lucky Charms cereal, the Lucky Charms mascot Lucky, or the many Lucky Charms commercials.

"Uh, what is that?"

Charlotte knelt beside her sister Nicky, staring at the strange contraption on the ground. Nicky was always creating something, forever tinkering away at odds and ends, coming up with a new invention. She did this because she loved it - it was a hobby that she enjoyed greatly, and she never missed a chance to try out a new idea. Today she had put together an original, yet ingenious little device. It was a trap for a small person or animal, like a rabbit trap with a twist. There was a box with bait in it, the lid hanging by a rope that, if cut, would shut the creature up in the crate. A hole was dug in front of the box, just small enough for the unsuspecting victim to fall into. A thick layer of dirt covered the hole, a loose patch of grass pulled over the soil to completely disguise it. To complete the design, a cloth was hung above and in front of the hole by its corners by four strings tied to the branches of two trees. If the victim got suspicious or scared, and tried to run or simply stopped in front of the hole, the ropes would be cut or loosened, and the cloth would fall onto the victim, trapping them temporarily. It was a great trap. Who it was for, was the question.

Nicky gave her sister an annoyed look. Charlotte was only 6 years old, while Nicky, the oldest, was 10. That wasn't TOO much older, but, to Nicky, it was a generation apart. Nicky viewed herself as the wiser and more mature of the two, and thought that Charlotte was immature and bratty, but she loved her more than anything and tolerated her more than some older sisters would tolerate their younger siblings.

With a half-hearted eye roll, Nicky explained what the trap was supposed to do and how it worked. When asked to repeat the speech, Nicky groaned, but complied. When Charlotte finally understood, she asked what anyone might in such a circumstance.

"Who is the trap for?"

Nicky grinned, having expected this question.

"A leprechaun."

Lucky was having a good day. For once, those blasted kids weren't after his cereal, and, when he got home, he would concentrate on making more. At times, he questioned why he made the sugary treat, when all he got for his hard work was children stealing his product - but then, on the other hand, what would he do if he stopped? Making the cereal was something he was good at, and he enjoyed it greatly. There was nothing to replace it - he would never get the same feeling of satisfaction that came from creating his famous cereal from anything else, so no point in pondering the subject.

As the little elf nodded to himself, mentally shutting the door on the inner conference, he spotted something quite odd. A box rested on someone's lawn, the open end facing his way. In the box…great marsh mallow in the sky…! It was a box of HIS very own LUCKY CHARMS. Lucky was astonished, amazed, and…angry - no, furious! Why would someone have HIS Lucky Charms - out in the open of all places, and where anyone could just…just…

Oh. OHHH.

Slowly, comprehension dawned. So, they wanted to CAPTURE him, did they? It wasn't enough that they stole what was rightfully his, now they were going to steal the leprechaun responsible for making the cereal.

'And, they plan to lure me with me own cereal. I'll show them just how clever and shifty leprechauns can be. I have more magic in me little finger than they could ever dream of. Heehee!'

He chuckled gleefully, and stole quietly towards the trap, stopping just before the cloth part of the trap. He stood still as he heard the trees moaning about how the ropes tied to their branches hurt. The little man frowned, thinking. Soon, he came upon the most obvious conclusion, and concentrated with all his might on sending a telepathic message to the trees. They heard him as clearly as if he had spoke aloud, and bended the branches as far down as they could go. Lucky could now see the ropes, but he was too small to reach them. Of course, this wasn't a problem for him. Pointing at the high branches of the left tree, he sent a powerful spark of magic from his index finger to the two ropes holding the corners of one side of the cloth. The knotted part of the ropes, the part that tied the rope to the tree, frayed when the beam of light hit it, but didn't break. This was Lucky's intent. He did the same to the right tree, fraying the rope, but not severing it.

Stepping back with a smirk, he waited. Within seconds, the ropes on both ends snapped silently, and the cloth fell limply to the ground. In a blink, the elf was gone, hidden behind the leaves of a thick bush.

Mere minutes later, two girls came to inspect the trap. Disappointment dimmed their eyes, once bright with eager excitement when they saw the empty trap. The cloth was taken into the house and the girl, Nicky, stepped outside to inspect the trap some more. Lucky, who was in a nearby bush, heard them talking, Nicky in even, controlled tones, and Charlotte in the loud whisper that only a young child can make.

"Why didn't it catch him? Wasn't it s'possed to?"

Charlotte looked to the other girl in confusion.

Nicky was worried. She knew leprechauns were smart, but if this one could evade the first part of the trap so easily…then he must be trickier than she thought. A persistent soul to the end, she wouldn't give up.

"Don't worry - leprechauns are hard to catch, remember? But as long as we have something he wants, he won't stop trying to get it. That's when we'll get him."

Lucky cursed silently. This girl was smart - smarter than he'd initially given her credit for. He would have to use more stealth and cunning to get back his cereal.

When the children went back inside, Lucky took his chance. Stepping up to the trap, he examined it closely, looking around it, and above it. He spotted the rope holding the lid open, but ignored it for the time being. The older girl, she was smart. Too smart to feel safe using only two traps. He was sure she had another, but where…? Within 3 minutes, his sharp leprechaun eyes noticed it. Lucky snorted at the amateur job the girl had done. He, being a forest creature, and therefore, knowing the earth like the back of his hand, spotted the trap of loose soil and grass. This time, Lucky didn't even have to think. He knew what to do. He could control the earth without breaking a sweat. This…would be cake. The elf raised a hand and closed his eyes. He softly and slowly chanted rehearsed words, as a glow emitted from his hand. His face was a look of pure concentration - though he didn't really use up any energy, it was fun to LOOK like you were concentrating hard. Within a single minute, the ground was closing up over the hole, the hard packed earth pushing against the opening, and swiftly closing it. The grass also began to grow back from where it was torn up when the hole was dug. Soon, it was like the hole was never there. Giving his work an appraising once-over, Lucky grinned in satisfaction.

Pausing to cross his arms and say a few words, he gloated, "Methinks the lassie will be amazed to see the space where the hole once was filled properly. She'll think it disappeared like magic - and it did! Teeheeheee!"

Chuckling at his little joke, the leprechaun gave himself a moment to sober up, before he once again got serious.

"Now about this box…I wonder what I should do."

He knew the box would close when he entered it, but the question was…how? There was no one to watch the box and wait until he went inside to cut the rope. And, as far as he could tell, it wasn't going to just cut itself, so how…?

Lucky knew better than to walk into something when he didn't know the out-come, but this was a risk he had to take. He cautiously stepped inside the crate. The crate was long, and the cereal was at the very end of it. The elf tried to run to the other side of the box, grab the cereal, and run out, but something went wrong. Unbeknownst to Lucky, there was a concealed lever on the floor of the box that, when pushed down, triggered a small, but sharp knife. (A/N: *Shrugs.* Don't ask me what their doing with knives. I don't know.) The knife was connected to, (more like tethered to,) a branch just above the rope. When the lever was pushed, the knife yanks down, and…

Lucky let out a surprised yelp as the lid banged shut. He was engulfed in darkness in a blink.

He momentarily panicked. Not being able to see is a scary thing, even for a night owl like him. But, after a moment, Lucky realized that it wasn't fear he felt, but shock at the unexpected and sudden dark. Scoffing at his childishness, he used the moon charm, (he always kept at least one charm with him in case of emergencies,) to make himself invisible. The dark no longer bothered him, and his well-adapted-to-the night's-dimness-eyes could see well - at least better than a human's. Not even 5 minutes later, his sharp ears picked up the sound of a door opening and footsteps running towards the box. A plan already formed in his mind, Lucky stayed absolutely still. They would not be able to see him, but, if they reached in and felt him, they would know he was there. Holding his breath, he listened as they giggled at the thought of catching a leprechaun, to which he rolled his eyes at. Yes, they had caught him…but would they KNOW they had done so? The question was answered immediately after the thought entered his mind. The lid was lifted and Lucky saw the girls peer inside. Their dejected expressions said it all. They could not see him because of his invisibility spell, and believed the box to be empty. Resisting the urge to snicker, Lucky heard the older girl complain about the failed capture.

"I don't get it! What happened? It was a fool-proof trap. I don't know what could have gone wrong. He didn't even fall in the hole - the dirt's still covering it."

"This is da realest hole I've ever felt Nicky. It's so hard."

"Charlotte don't-you'll fall in! Wait…why aren't you falling in? How are you still standing there?"

Lucky couldn't help it - he let out a soft snicker. Luckily, the other girl was too worried about the state of the 'hole' to hear him.

"Wha-no way. I don't believe it. The hole - where did it go?"

Lucky couldn't keep the smirk from his face as he saw the girls examine the now solid ground where the hole used to be. The expressions on their face was priceless. He was sure they wouldn't be able to sleep for days. Humans scared so easily, they might even be traumatized for a week; well, it served them right for playing such a nasty trick on him. They might learn a lesson from all of this.

While the two were away from the box, otherwise occupied with their observation of the earth, Lucky used the horseshoe charm to make a quick get away.

It had been an eventful evening, but, at least he got away with his precious Lucky Charms.


End file.
